Glory of Love
by bronze andromeda shun
Summary: In the underworld, the Gold Saints are about to destroy the Wailing Wall. But Aioria's thoughts keep on returning to a certain girl... AioriaxMarin, songfic for Glory of Love by Peter Cetera.


**Okay, I'm alive! Yes, yes, I know I'm horrible at updating, I'm sorry. This is a song fic, so at least I shouldn't have to worry about this one! There used to be a really great AMV for Aioria and Marin with the song ****Glory of Love****. Unfortunately, that video got taken down. So, in recompense to that, I decided to make a song fic for them with it! So here it is, my selfish desires for a long-lost video put into words. Enjoy!**

**I don't own Saint Seiya or the song.**

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_Tonight it's very clear_

_As we're both lying here_

_There's so many things_

_I wanna say_

As Seiya and Shun raced out of the room, all twelve of the gold saints braced themselves, funneling all their cosmos into Aioros' arrow. Despite the need for focus, however, Aioria felt his thoughts start to wander. Small things at first, but it wasn't long before they settled on the one person who Aioria wanted to see the most right now. Marin. He loved her. Aioria clung to each memory of her like a lifeline. He wanted to be with her. To have her be by his side, always. Why? Why hadn't he told her how he felt? Why did Aioria, the golden lion, never have the courage to tell Marin that he was in love with her? He wanted her to know his feelings, but he had always been too scared of rejection. He didn't want to be pushed away.

How many things had he wanted to tell her? How many things went unsaid between them? Aioria gave out a sigh. There was nothing he could do about it now. He just had to hope that somehow, she knew, even without him saying anything. She probably did. She was always really good at knowing what he was thinking. Still, Aioria wished he had said them. There was still so much he wanted to say to her.

_I will always love you_

_I would never leave you alone_

Thinking about it now, he had always loved her. Since the first time they met. He was the brother of a traitor, and she was Japanese. They were both outcasts. Aioria had figured it was his best shot at having a friend since his brother disappeared. So he had slipped out of the room, and made a beeline to where the new arrivals stayed. He questioned the other new arrivals as to where the Japanese trainee was, and ended up at the practice ground. Never mind that it had been shut down for the night, and would be used by people much more close to getting their cloths in the morning, anyway.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" Aioria had just barely prevented his voice from shaking. No one was in sight. Maybe those kids had pulled a prank on him? He gave a sigh, and turned to leave, only to bump right into someone. Aioria opened his mouth to apologize, but no words ever came out. The Japanese had red hair, reaching down between her shoulder blades, and had a mask on. No one had told him that the Japanese student was a GIRL!

Still, despite their rocky start, the two grew close. She believed in him, even when no one else did. She was the one who always believed that Aioria could become the Leo saint. He had supported her, too. He would encourage her, and there was no doubt in his mind that he was the most proud of her when it was announced that the Aquila cloth was hers. Whenever Shaina was at her throat, Aioria made sure to intervene before Marin could get too badly injured. They always had fought through thick and thin, and they had done it together. He knew that she was probably fighting against Hades in her own way, too.

_Sometimes I just forget_

_Say things I might regret_

_It breaks my heart to see you crying_

_I don't wanna lose you_

_I could never make it alone_

He had forgotten. He knew that Athena had been reincarnated, that a horrible doom was coming soon. Thinking his brother a traitor for thirteen years, he made sure he knew. This was what he fought for. Now, though, Aioria knew he forgot.

He still fought for Athena, but that was his duty. In his heart, he was fighting for something else, for someone else. He never should have attacked Seiya in Japan. He would always hate that he had done it. Now, even the last reason fell before him. He still had the pretense of punishing him for fighting in the Galaxian Tournament for personal reasons; except that was exactly what Aioria had always done. To regain the trust that was lost after his brother's so-called betrayal fueled him for a while. But soon, he had started to fight for her. He fought for Marin.

Now, he remembered. This was why he had prevented anyone near him after his brother died. He knew that they would all die in a war like this. But he had let Marin in. He let her in, clung to his feelings, and forgot. He forgot the risk. He forgot how much he would be leaving behind. He forgot how much he would hurt her. Marin carried too much pain already, and he was just making it worse. The battle of Sanctuary had shaken her more than she would admit.

Aioria wondered where she was right now. After all, Marin had disappeared after the Sanctuary's civil war. He prayed she was safe. That she was somewhere warm, her mask failing to hide her smile, just like whenever he talked with her. Regret panged through his heart. She wouldn't smile. Not when she heard. No, she would pull all her strength, and mourn the dead with a stoic expression. Now the bronzes had to survive even more; Seiya would be the only one left who might have a chance at getting her to let it go, to cry. Aioria mentally apologized. He was always too flustered, never knowing what to do when she cried to make the tears leave. Now he knew. He should have held still, been a shoulder and an ear for her. Seiya would have to do that for him. Please.

He hated this! He didn't want to die. He wanted to live. Live, see the sun, train, talk with her, hear her laugh; he wanted to be with her! He wanted to be with her forever. She would have the memories, the places they had been together. And for the first time, Aioria realized that when Aioros had died, it had hurt his older brother more. At least there were all the things that he had left for him, and that Aioria would now leave for Marin. She would have those. He would not. He had lost her forever, with nothing left to cling to. Aioria had never felt this alone.

_I am a man who will fight for your honor_

_I'll be the hero you're dreaming of_

_We'll live forever_

_Knowing together_

_That we did it all for the glory of love_

He would protect her, though. Wherever she was, it had to be somewhere on earth. If they defeated Hades, the Greatest Eclipse would stop. The earth would live. She would live. Maybe she would remember, and after finding someone else, she would tell her kids about him. He could be there, be a hero-figure of sorts. He wouldn't be gone. Still, he wished he could have stayed with her. He would go through an eternity for her, to be near her. Maybe then, she would know. Everything he did, it was for her. All of it was for Marin.

_You'll keep me standing tall_

_You'll help me through it all_

_I'm always strong when you're beside me_

They had helped each other reach their goals. Aioria managed to keep his claim on the Leo cloth, and he helped her train, climb up the charts, until she became the eagle saint. He had spent all that time, just for her. After she had one the cloth, she had thanked him. Aioria remembered thinking that it was weird of her to thank him, when she was the reason that he could stand tall every day.

That continued on. Seiya became her apprentice, and Aioria had helped, both with training and keeping the young, energetic boy from running away. He stood by her throughout the constant slamming Shaina and many others tried to give. She stayed by him, too, though. She helped him believe that he would be trusted. That he could become his own person, not just the brother of the traitor. If that old saying about true strength being in the heart, then she was the one and only reason he was strong. She gave him a reason to be strong. He wanted to protect her, even if she never needed it.

_I have always needed you_

_I could never make it alone_

Well, physical protection, at least. It was hard for most people to tell, but Marin was very sensitive. So many people had bashed her nationality, and it had left her uncertain. She never said it, but he knew. He hated himself for this, but he was actually somewhat grateful for that. At least that means she needs me as much as I need her, he always told himself. While it was not something that should be excused, though, it was true. He needed her. She had trusted him. Believed in him. Maybe even loved him. When she was there, Aioria didn't have to be alone.

_I am a man who will fight for your honor_

_I'll be the hero you've been dreaming of_

_We'll live forever_

_Knowing together_

_That we did it all for the glory of love_

Still, there would always be a part of him that couldn't reach her. He had never seen her face. He often wondered what it looked like. Beautiful, he was sure, but what color were her eyes? Did she blush when he would touch her arm shyly before pulling away? He never pushed, though. It was her choice. That mask was special. It represented her honor as a saint.

But why did it have to? Her honor was just as easy to see as the rest of theirs. She told him once that she would dream of taking it off. Aioria had wondered if he was in that dream. However, she also told him that she never would take off that mask. When he had asked her why, the answer pierced at his heart. She had said that it was so she would be able to dream about something.

He wondered if there would be any way for this feeling to continue. Maybe he would reflect in the eyes behind the mask sometimes. Or perhaps an eagle would reflect on the Leo cloth. Some way for them to be connected, to have the feeling live on. He knew that there would be a way, because he would always know how much love he has for her.

_Just like a knight in shining armor_

_From a long time ago_

_Just in time I will save the day_

_Take you to my castle far away_

He knew it was stupid. She was strong, and would move on. Somehow, though, Aioria still hoped. He hoped that she would remember. All the wonderful memories they had, she had to remember them. She would remember when he would jump in to save her from people ganging up on her, only to be chastised later for not having trusted her to take care of herself. He just had to be the hero, though, had to save the day, and march off into the sunset. Then they would laugh, and climb the long steps up to the Leo temple. They would talk for hours, and by the time she would leave, the sun's rays would hit her just right, to make her radiate more than ever. All too soon, the sun would continue down, making that extra glow fall away, returning her to her natural beauty.

_I am a man who will fight for your honor_

_I'll be the hero that you're dreaming of_

_We're gonna live forever_

_Knowing together_

_That we did it all for the glory of love_

Remembering all this tugged at Aioria's heart. He knew that he wouldn't be going back to the surface, where the sun would dance on her skin. He also knew why he had to stay, though. He would help destroy the Wailing Wall, allowing the bronze saints a chance to defeat Hades. Then, he knew she would be safe. He was breaking the law of Athena. He was fighting for selfish reasons. He was fighting for Marin. And he always would, too. He hated rules, anyway.

This wasn't goodbye. He would visit her. He would protect her dreams, keeping watch over her sleep. Maybe he couldn't, but he would make sure that she would keep on living. He knew that she would always be the one that he loved.

_We'll live forever_

_Knowing together_

_That we did it all for the glory of love_

Maybe he wouldn't disappear after all. He would keep on living. He would live in her. Her memories would hold his life. She knew then, too. Aioria grinned, knowing she would have to know that he loved her, because he knew it, and he would be inside her.

_We did it all for love_

He refocused himself, and pushed the last of his remaining cosmos toward his brother's arrow. Seiya and the others would win. She would be safe.

_We did it all for love_

Aioria smiled. He had gone through so much. He could handle waiting for her a little longer.

_We did it all for love_

He closed his eyes as he felt there cosmos fire in the arrow, and connect with the Wailing Wall. Finally, as his body began to disappear, Aioria spoke one final time, silently begging Athena to let these words reach her.

_We did it all for love_

"Be happy, Marin. I love you."

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**Well, that turned out rather depressing. But the two have both had very hard lives, so I guess reflecting on things wouldn't be all smiles and roses (definitely not roses, Aphrodite! Behave yourself!) Anyway, all in all, I thought it turned out rather good! I'm going to go to bed now, please don't forget to review, please!**


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